Eden Prairie, Minn. _ Rob, one of my former neighbors and forever good buddy, grew up a Minnesota Vikings fan and recently moved back to the Twin Cities area.

“”Us Vikings fans are a skeptical group,” he said.

Remember how Denver felt in the 1997 season when the Broncos reached the Super Bowl? Even John Elway’s mom was scared for her son. That’s the current feeling in Minnesota as the Vikings prepare to play the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship Game this Sunday at the Superdome.

The Vikes were 0-4 in Super Bowls from the 1969 season through 1976. They also lost NFC Championship Games in 1977, 1987, 1998 (when they took a 16-1 record into the game against heavy underdog Atlanta) and 2000 (a 41-0 loss to Jim Fassel’s New York Giants).

So forgive Minnesotans if this whole Big Game experience has them more spooked than excited.